Canine Warriors
The Canine Warriors, often referred to as the Satomi Canine Warriors, the Eight Canine Warriors and later renamed the Kusa 5 were eight dogs who were the guardians of the Gale Shrine, which was accessable via Kusa Village. Amaterasu and Issun have to find them for the Satomi Orbs to be used to dispel the barrier blocking their path. Princess Fuse gives Amaterasu and Issun the Canine Tracker to help them find the Warriors. Whenever it senses a Canine Warriors pesence it will lead Amaterasu to them. Upon meeting each dog, the trio found a problem with each that they had to overcome in order for them to return to Princess Fuse: Story Background The Canine Warriors were the traditional protectors of the Satomi House, whose last remaining member was the priestess of the Gale Shrine, Princess Fuse. Their former master was her husband Yatsu, the high priest of the Gale Shrine. Yatsu was incredibly devoted to the puppies and pampered them with his affection. This caused them to develop spoilt attitudes.Ōkami Official Complete Works The warriors eventually went their separate ways, vowing to return when called for. A year before Amaterasu's arrival in Kusa village, Yatsu was killed by demons while weakened by his illness, but his ghost remained near the sealed entrance to the shrine. The Warriors Kusa 5 While Gi, Jin and Chu never return to Princess Fuse, the other five remain with her, training at the Gale Shrine. Princess Fuse names the group the Kusa 5 and states that they are even more powerful than Orochi. When Amaterasu finds them in the Gale Shrine all the dogs appear to be tired and bored. She requests that Amaterasu battles her five warriors to test their strength and skill. After a difficult battle against all five members, the three missing members appear to fight Amaterasu who manages to overcome them, only for Tei to rise again. Once Amaterasu has completed the battle Princess Fuse tells her that her level of skill is what the Kusa 5 strive for. She also informs Issun that although the Eight Canine Warriors have split up, the lost members will return to aid their comrades in times of need for even when they are apart they are always as one. After their defeat, the Kusa 5 has a new found enthusiasm and resume their training. Strategy After clearing Oni Island, Amaterasu can return to the Gale Shrine to challenge them to an optional battle as part of their training. The battle takes place in three separate waves without a break between them, and involves all eight of the Canine Warriors. If Amaterasu wins all three rounds, Princess Fuse rewards her with Praise and a Stray Bead. In the first round, Ammy fights four of the Kusa Five (Rei, Shin, Chi and Ko). The Warriors' main attack is to activate the power of their Satomi Power Orb with a howl, making them invincible. They attack Amaterasu with a series of charges until the Orb stops glowing, which also signals the end of their invincibility. They repeat this technique whenever given an opening. The Warriors are very agile and can quickly backflip and dodge to avoid attacks, so that the long-distance range of a Rosary is recommended (but not required) to beat them. They deal a lot of damage and are quite durable, so this can be quite a tricky fight, but certainly not the hardest. Attack whenever you get an opening and you should be able to beat them. In the second round, you must fight three dogs, specifically, the three who refused to return to Princess Fuse (Gi, Jin and Chu). They primarily use the same moves as the last lot, but also have some less conventional extras. During the fight, they may stop to dig holes, ejecting a spray of dirt that damages Amaterasu on contact. If Amaterasu falls into the finished hole, it temporarily traps her, allowing the Warriors to attack by peeing on her, in a similiar way to the Golden Fury Dojo Technique. This robs Amaterasu of her ink (and is probably quite bad for her personal hygiene). The Warriors also attack by pooing around the battlefield. Their poo explodes with the force of a Cherry Bomb but can be avoided if noticed in time. Overall, they are very similar to the first lot and should be fought in the same way, but be careful not to get peed on! Finally, you must face a single dog: Canine Warrior Tei. He mainly uses the same attacks as the first four, but is much faster and stronger. The only move he takes from the second round is the ability to dig holes, but is different in that, should Amaterasu fall in, he will attack normally, and won't pee on her. Clearly he finds better times to go for a pee. Use most of the same tactics as before, when fighting him, but make sure to use the Veil of Mist brush power to slow him down. Celestial Brush Techniques are crucial for defeating the Warriors. Cherry Bomb is the only attack that can stop the Warriors' charge move if placed correctly, breaking their invulnerability and injuring them. Veil of Mist is extremely useful, since it makes the Warriors extremely vulnerable (even in mid-charge) and makes it easier for Amaterasu to dodge their fast-moving attacks. The Warriors do not take damage from other purely offensive techniques (e.g. Fireburst or Power Slash) unless stunned beforehand or slowed down with Veil of Mist. However, they will still reel back and be temporarily distracted, making them more vulnerable to damage from any Divine Instrument. Trivia *Ōkami Official Complete Works reveals that the canine warriors were originally designed as humans, but later in development they were made into dogs. **They are 'recycled' characters who share a similar model and attack animations as Amaterasu. *The Orbs each dog carries represents the different concepts of zen buddhism. *According to the Official Complete Works, all the Canine Warriors obviously have a set breed which are: **Rei is a Pointer, a breed of hunting dog used to retrieve fallen birds. His markings suggest that he's an English Pointer. **Shin is a Boxer, a medium bulldog breed from Germany. **Chi is a Japanese Spitz, a breed most often seen as a pet or companion dog. **Ko is a Collie, a British dog used in herding sheep. **Tei is a Tosa-Ken, a Japanese fighting dog. **Gi is a Husky, though this is a general term for several breeds often used as sled dogs. **Jin is a Shiba-Inu, a Japanese small-game hunting dog. **Chu is a Kai Ken, a Japanese hunting breed. *The Eight Canine Warriors are based on a novel, known as Nansō Satomi Hakkenden. Category:Characters Category:Cleanup Category:Eight Canine Warriors Category:Canines